1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a handler which transports a transport target and a part inspection apparatus including the handler, and more particularly, to a handler which transports a transport target to an opening portion formed in a base and a part inspection apparatus including the handler.
2. Related Art
In the related art, a part inspection apparatus has been proposed which inspects electric characteristics of an electronic part such as a semiconductor chip. Such a part inspection apparatus includes a tester which is provided with an inspection socket where the electronic part is mounted, and a handler where the tester is mounted and which transports the electronic part before inspection to the tester, for example.
Such a handler includes a transport section having a hand which holds a plurality of electronic parts accommodated in a supply tray by vacuum suction. The transport section moves the hand which holds the electronic part up to above the inspection socket, and then moves the hand down toward the inspection socket to press the electronic part into the inspection socket. Thus, a terminal of the inspection socket and a terminal of the electronic part are electrically connected to each other, to thereby inspect electric characteristics of the electronic part. After the inspection of the electronic part ends, the transport section moves the hand to detach the electronic part after inspection which is held by the hand from the inspection socket, and then moves the hand up to a recovery tray to discharge the electronic part which is held by the hand to the recovery tray. Then, the transport section adsorbs a new electronic part accommodated in the supply tray by the hand, and again, moves the hand toward the inspection socket.
In this regard, in order to efficiently perform the inspection of the electronic part, it is preferable that the time from the electronic part after inspection is detached from the inspection socket until the next electronic part is disposed in the inspection socket be short. In this regard, JP-A-2002-148307 discloses the following handler to shorten such a time.
That is, the handler disclosed in JP-A-2002-148307 includes a pair of transport sections which is independently controlled, and inspections of electronic parts transported by the pair of transport sections are alternately performed in a common inspection socket. While the inspection of the electronic part held by a hand of one transport section is performed, the other transport section discharges the electronic part after inspection from the hand, holds a new electronic part before inspection by the hand, and waits in the vicinity of the inspection socket. According to such a configuration, immediately after the electronic part held by the hand of one transport section is detached from the inspection socket, the electronic part held by the hand of the other transport section is disposed in the inspection socket. Thus, it is possible to efficiently perform the inspection of the electronic part.
In recent years, in order to enhance inspection efficiency of an electronic part, the number of electronic parts inserted in an inspection socket in one-time inspection has been increased. However, if the number of electronic parts inserted by a hand is increased, the size and weight of the hand become large and heavy, and thus, it is difficult to avoid decrease in the transport speed of the electronic part and increase in the transport distance of the electronic part. Thus, in the above-described handler, although it is possible to increase the number of electronic parts inserted in the inspection socket by increasing the size of the hand, there is still a room for improvement to suppress decrease in transport efficiency due to decrease in the transport speed or increase in the transport distance caused by the increasing size of the hand.